Filed under: Comment
From Media Magazine: M&C Saatchi Asia-Pacific president and CEO Kim Walker has issued a comprehensive apology for three mock ads created by an art director at its New Delhi office, which have drawn fierce criticism on the internet.
The images, which depict the World Trade Center, Hiroshima and Bhopal tragedies, appear as ads for skincare client VLCC, along with the strapline “Some scars never go.” The art director responsible for creating and uploading the work – Chaman Singh – has since been fired by the agency, while the offending work has also been removed from the website.
Walker also stated that VLCC had absolutely no knowledge of the work.“M&C Saatchi is mortified and disgusted by these so-called ads and despite not having any participation in their creation, apologises for the understandable revulsion from those who see them“.
Nice to see the time honoured tradition of ‘Passing The Buck’ is alive and well in advertising. Of course no one in his agency had any knowledge of the ads … I mean, we all know how quiet and secretive creative people are. At least justice prevailed but if I was VLCC, I’d sue because people will remember the ads far longer than the apology!
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I hope they didnt know, glad to see them apologise though.
And you are right about VLCC, how many of the public will realise they had nothing to do with it?
Comment by Rob Mortimer September 19, 2006 @ 6:58 pmThe only really annoying thing is M&C would ‘claim’ they knew nothing about it and end up not having to pay out at all. As they say, the law is an ass … especially when dealing in Corporate issues.
Comment by Robert September 19, 2006 @ 7:35 pmYa its bad..very bad and inhumane. and the entire world knows that. so wats the point in making so much noise about it. its very clear from kim’s statement that these ads was never released. AND someone got fired over it.
Comment by indiancritic September 21, 2006 @ 3:32 pmbtw, aren’t blogs a free ‘personal’ opinion on stuff? there are bigger issues to talk about than just a bunch of half-assed creatives. the issues portrayed in the creatives are bigger issues than the creatives themselves. lets deal with those first!!! whats mr.bush doing abt those?
Of course there are much bigger issues in the World than some tasteless ad’s that never publically appeared … but as you said, blogs are a place for ‘freedom of expression’ so I can’t work out why you are suggesting I am in the wrong to pass a personal comment on something I found deeply offensive.
Not only that, but I don’t think I made a big deal about it – it’s how I felt and I am only one person, I’m not CNN or anything.
Finally, given blogs are in the public domain – you have to accept outsiders opinion if you have written something they disagree with. [As I am with you]
That doesn’t mean you have to agree with what they say, but it does mean you can’t plead ignorance if the World suddenly say’s you are in the wrong.
The Art Director who did the ad’s must be mad if he is claiming he didn’t think anyone would see his ‘work’.
Come on, people do blogs because they WANT their expression to be seen … so the real question is what was he expecting to happen once word of his ‘creativity’ got out? Win a Cannes Gold?
As for the bigger issues … as I said, I completely and utterly agree with you. The big, big issues seem to be largely ignored and that is a travesty – but it also doesn’t mean we should let lesser wrongs go through or we will live in a World of complete abandonment.
Thanks for your comments though, I do enjoy the debate and I hope to hear from you again soon.
Comment by Rob September 21, 2006 @ 4:22 pm